Help is in the bag thanks to pupils

Pupils in Paisley are being encouraged to celebrate the new term by donating their old backpacks to children living thousands of miles away.

Children can take part in The Backpack Project, run by Mary’s Meals, by filling their old bags with notepads, pencils and clothes.

The charity will then send them to impoverished schoolchildren in Malawi – with more than 40,000 bags being gifted every year.

A donation of a new van by Arnold Clark will now make it easier than ever for Mary’s Meals to collect bags from Paisley schools.

Adam Clark, group business sales and development director at Arnold Clark, said: “We are delighted to support Mary’s Meals, and help the charity continue its great work. It’s amazing to think that backpacks collected from schools around the UK in this van will soon be starting their journey to Malawi to help children with their education there.”

Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.5 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries every school day.

The food attracts hungry children to the classroom, feeding them and giving them the energy to learn.

Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals UK, said he hopes pupils in Paisley will celebrate the new term by joining in The Backpack Project and donating their old bags to children who eat Mary’s Meals in Malawi.

“A bag filled with school essentials is a wonderful gift because it ensures these children can get the most out of their education, giving them a ladder out of poverty and the chance of a better future,” he said.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, facing huge challenges in education, access to healthcare and widespread child malnutrition.

It is home to Mary’s Meals’ largest school feeding programme, which reaches 32 per cent of primary school aged children across the country.

Mary’s Meals can collect group donations of backpacks from schools, workplaces and groups across the UK. To find out more about The Backpack Project, visit www. marysmeals.org.uk

A bag filled with school essentials is a wonderful gift